1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to support the Extreme Heat/Ban Utility Disconnections Act (Senate Bill 1027). Extreme heat is not an inconvenience—it is a public safety crisis, and families should not face disconnection of essential electricity during declared heat emergencies. North Carolina is already seeing how quickly costs can push households into crisis. In May, more than 353,000 households received notices that they were at risk of disconnection. For many families, the choice is not about luxuries; it’s about health and survival—keeping homes cool enough to avoid heat illness, powering medical devices, and running air filtration and cooling options that reduce health risks for children, seniors, and people with chronic conditions. As Sen. Natalie Murdock and others have noted, when power is cut during dangerously hot weather, the consequences can become life-threatening. The bill’s core requirement is straightforward and responsible: when the National Weather Service declares a heat emergency, utilities and electric membership corporations should be prohibited from suspending or disconnecting service to residential retail customers. Currently, winter protections exist, but comparable summer protections do not apply until temperatures reach dangerous levels. That gap leaves residents exposed even when heat conditions are already compromising health—especially for people living on fixed incomes, seniors, and households managing medical needs. SB 1027 also recognizes that cooling is essential for health, not optional. Requiring landlords to allow tenants to install portable cooling units or air filtration devices can help prevent asthma attacks and other heat-related and air-quality-related emergencies, providing practical relief when safe indoor conditions are otherwise unaffordable. Supporting SB 1027 is a direct, protective step to ensure that no family is left without power simply because extreme heat and high bills collide.